But let’s not allow them to be played as political pawns. Because that’s exactly what happened when Republican members of Congress escorted these men under the bright lights of TV cameras. The suggestion is that Republicans are on their side, and it’s President Obama’s team who is dishonoring their sacrifice by erecting the gates.

This is part of a larger strategy by Republicans to reduce the political heat they are feeling, with polls showing that most Americans blame them for the shutdown. They want to selectively reopen those parts of the government that are making the biggest political splash, like the memorials and the federal parks.

But what about the parts that don’t get the same headlines, like the pregnant women and their infants who are not getting food assistance, or the elderly who are not getting Meals on Wheels? What about inspections for food safety, and the disease-monitoring programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? What about the nearly 2 million federal workers who just lost their paychecks? And what about the larger economic damage this is causing?

The point is that the federal government plays a critical role across a range of American life. To restore funding for one or two high-profile programs based on a measure of the political heat is a cynical stunt, a move that will only extend the larger shutdown.

Yes, there may be legitimate adjustments that should be made, based on health and safety concerns, not politics. A leading example: The shutdown at the National Institutes of Health is delaying cancer trials, even those aimed at children. That needs to change. Our soldiers remain on duty during the shutdown; our cancer-fighters should be as well.

But don’t be fooled by the staged drama at the war memorial. Republicans picked this fight, and they are to blame for the consequences.

Democrats in the Senate passed a clean budget resolution with no policy demands attached. Republicans in the House rejected that, and are insisting on concessions on Obama’s health care reform. They are deliberately damaging the nation as a means of political leverage.

That is just wrong. And distracting from that central point by escorting a few veterans in wheelchairs is beyond cynical.